HYDE CHESHIRE

Harry Rutherford's Festival of Britain Mural

Tuesday, 27 March 2012

The Bush Inn - R.I.P.

The Bush Inn pub stood at 278 Market Street. It was a Robinsons House but also had a nice small selection of real ales. For a while there was a restaurant upstairs and they also used to host live bands. A decent pub with a nice atmosphere.

Unfortunately, it has become the latest victim of pub closures. A sad day indeed.

The Bush before its closure.

As it looks today - boarded up and neglected.No doubt there will be some more flats appearing here soon....

According to Paul Taylors excellent "The history of the pubs of Hyde and District" , the Bush opened in 1840 and was virtually a country pub which was surrounded by farmland, most of it belonging to the Shepley Family. The first landlord was John Haughton & Haughton Street, which is adjacent to the pub, is named after him.
A bit of trivia also in the book states that over the years the Inn has had no less than three different addresses. It was initially 164 Hyde Lane and then the number was changed when Market Street was extended above Tower Street and the Bush was given the number 64 Hyde Lane. Around 1910 it was renumbered again after the old Hyde lane was completely done away with and Market Street was extended to meet Stockport Road and the present address of 278 Market Street was adopted.
The Folk Group "The Pennine Folk, were the resident Folk group for years in the 1970's until they moved to Hyde United Social Club. Many top folk artists of the time played at the Bush where the pub was regularly packed to the rafters with "Folkies"! Shame they aren't still there !

Well, that's sad. I lived next door but one (282 Market St) until about 1970 when my house was demolished. Supposedly to make way for a motorway, but evidently not. As I recall the house to the left of the Bush (you can just see it in the photo), belonged to a Mr Bennet, a retired butcher, then us, then Scotts the Green grocers, then Wendell's (spelling ?) a small radio store, then Marsland's (again spelling ? - I never saw this written down - I just knew the families by name) a 'sweet shop' (also a purveyor of a mean Dandelion and Burdock drink, as I recall). For some reason the wrecker's ball spared the Bush and the butcher; but all the rest now seems to be a car lot :(

My job on a late Sunday lunchtime was to go the Bush, find my dad (usually a little worse for wear) and bring him home for lunch.

On a personal note I left Hyde for London University in 1972, then left for Columbia University in New York (1975) and now live in Silicon Valley, California, and mess with computers and start-up companies.

HI AlanThank you for such an informative comment... local knowledge such as this makes this site all the better.I always like to see Hydonians who have moved away leaving a comment and letting folks know how they are... you never know one of your old friends might read this at sometime..

Hi Alan, I too remember the shops you mention but, alas, have never managed to track down any photos of them. Scotts I particularly remember shopping in with my Mum.There were also a cluster of shops opposite if I remember correctly,Kayes being one of them and a barbers shop on the corner next to Slack Mill (Norths).Happy days :)

What a shame! I was born at the Bush, 14th August 1946, and spent my first 11 years there. The pub belonged to my grandparents, John and Hilda Stokes. I remember the houses and shops.Next to the Bush was a butchers, then I think a house where the Michell's lived, next Scott's greengrocers and Rogers sweetshop at the end of the block.On the other side of the road was North Cheshire Laundrys, Kay's shop, Harrops petshop, Mrs Wilds shop and Walter Dickinson's barbers shop,(where I had my first haircut 3d)I remember lying in my bed early in the morning listening to the sound of clogs on the feet of workers going to Slack Mill's, later North's.Redferns Rubber Works was just around the corner, where my aunt worked.The pub was always busy, especially weekends.The bar was always shrouded in a blue haze from the countless cigarettes and pipes being smoked.I went to St Georges school,where Mr Birch was headmaster. I remember Ian Swindels, from the list above, if it's the same one.Happy memories.

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Tom, Dave, Paul and I would like to say thank you to everyone for contributing to this blog in some small way - even if that means just reading it! It's been more of a success than we could ever have dreamt of and that's all down to you ! It was our intention to get Hyde "on the record" as it were and it seems to be heading in the right direction. We are very proud of Hyde and would like it's history to live on!